The Politics of Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is widely viewed as a significant social problem. This book argues that much of the problem stems from simplistic or inaccurate perceptions of what the problem is. Although most individuals believe that early childbirth is a cause of poverty, the research in this volume suggests that poverty is also a partial cause of early childbirth. The problem is not so much teenagers who want sex too soon, but a society that offers too little too late - too little birth control information, too few job opportunities, and too little reason for many low income teenagers to stay in school and delay childbearing. The authors of this collection are prominent American and British reseachers from varied backgrounds including law, psychology, sociology, medicine, philosophy, and history. Despite other differences they generally agree that more teenagers are unlikely to "just say no" to early sex or childbirth unless they have more opportunities to say yes to something else. To alter the social conditions that simultaneously promote and punish early childbearing, we need a better range of health, welfare, educational and vocational strategies.
As these researchers conclude, we cannot alter adolescents' choices without also redirecting adult priorities.